My brother Tom was visiting me at my home in Wilmington, NC.  Tom, my wife Katie, and I were on the front  porch May 31, late evening.  Tom began to entertain my wife with stories about me in high school and some of the peculiarities between our individual friends, classmates, and classes.  Tom's circle of friends and mine back in high school were somewhat different in temperment and behavior.  Tom told Katie that my friends were "manly" and more "disciplined".   I graduated Exeter High in 71 and Tom in 73.  Wedge and I were classmates.  Wedge came up in my stories of "glory days" that very evening.

Wedge of course came up in a few memories and stories a few times over the past 47 years we did not see each other, but I cannot remember in the past decade or so until May 31, 2018 at about 9:00 pm.

Back in high school, you changed a girlfriend every year, and the buddies you ran around tight with changed or refreshed about every other year.  Wedge and I had our run at being close buddies in 1968 and 1969 as freshmen and sophomores.  Summers, and the school year, we often worked as each other's "wingman" and personal social coaches at our Exeter School dances, Antietam recreation center, and the Mt. Penn school.  My house was actually closer to Mt. Penn than Exeter, 2 blocks from Antietam, thus friends and contacts at both  - from the hood - the township lines.

We would then argue at the dances whether the music was any good or not to dance to.  Yes, we each used that colorful word to express the tune's quality when one of us did not like it.  I was in to the Stones, some Jimmie Hendrix, and basically music termed "psychadelic".  Wedge was a big fan of "soul" and singers like James Brown.  Many Friday or Saturday nights I endured watching Wedge tap a gal on the soldier and smolder a gym floor to "Papa Has a Brand New Bag".  He could dance pretty well moving his arms very little, and feet an aweful lot.  We were unaware of  "riverdancing" back then in Berks County - but he likely could have mastered that.

We were among the youngest in class - so last to drive.  Wedge was 2 weeks older than I.  We went to a lot of places using our feet for transportation through yards, parking lots, and woods.  Along the way in 68 and 69, we had a number of experiences upon which if re-enacted in film could beat out some scenes and story lines in American Graffiti.

We moved on to slightly different inner social circles by graduation day - to the tracks which would set our lives forward in to adulthood.  Graduation Day was the last we talked or saw each other.  But proof is right here that a good friend, a great guy is never forgotten. You never know when a spontaneous tought about them brightens your day or gives you a laugh.  I will miss never having caught up with Wedge face to face after graduation, but in spirit we did meet again from time to time via memories.  For me the last memory meet-up was May 31, 2018.  I owe Wedge a belated thank you for his friendship and the memories.

Bob Lorenz, Wilmington, NC, Exeter High School Class of  '71.